“Are you ready, pretty boy? Come with me,” Kade rasped.
“Fuck, yes,” Uriel grunted. I screamed, my vision going white as their knots expanded. My walls spasmed, desperate and needy, as they locked me in place. I was a puppet on a string, jerking upward only to be held down as they bottomed out. Their knots filling me completely.
“Take it, Vera,” Kade grunted against my neck. “Take all of me.”
“Mine,” Uriel hissed as I did what Omegas did best—I milked every drop frommyAlphas. The screaming in my blood calmed and as my world tilted, cushioned by my nest, I lay knotted. I nuzzled into Kade’s neck, feeling Uriel’s heartbeat against my back. I reached out to Dane, entwining our fingers.
I was sated.
End
I woke up buried beneath fabric—hoodies, blankets, and pillows I’d dragged onto the bed while the heat drove me wild. I’d built my first nest, their scents comforted me, but as my eyes cracked open, the fever was gone. The agonizing ache had been sated, replaced by the soreness of being claimed by my Alphas.
I was physically drained, my limbs were heavy, my pussy sore, but the storm had cleared and my mind was sharp. My Alphas had helped me through my heat despite the pain I’d caused. I needed to make things right.
Movement at the edge of the room drew my gaze. They were here. They hadn’t left me after my heat had broken. The three of them were scattered like guards at the edge of my nest. Dane sat in the chair by the bed shirtless, his muscular body kissed by the morning light, his shorts low on his waist; Kade was leaning against the dresser, his arms crossed over his bare chest, sweats hugging his hips; and Uriel was at the foot of the bed, in nothing but briefs, his shoulders lax, his eyes dazed.
For a few heartbeats, the silence was a safe haven. No one moved. No one spoke.
“Vera,” Dane’s voice was low, cutting through the short-lived peace. He didn’t move toward me, didn’t offer a hand, just stared. Kade straightened, his hazel eyes on me as he stepped toward the nest. Uriel jerked up, a smile on his lips as he stared at me.
“Wakey, wakey.” Uriel was the first to greet me. He stretched, his muscles flexing as he yawned. “How’re you feeling?”
“Morning. I feel… surprisingly good,” I murmured, pushing a crazy strand behind my ear.
My phone. I hadn’t looked at it in–how long?
I reached for the nightstand where Dane had placed it, my fingers clumsy as I powered it on. The screen lit up, and my stomach dropped.
There were 47 missed calls from my Mother and even more text messages. I scrolled through them, my chest tightening with each one:
Mother: Where are you?
Mother: Vera, answer me right now.
Mother. This is unacceptable. Come home immediately.
Mother: If you’re not home by morning, consider yourself dead to me.
That was the last text message.
I exhaled slowly, my thumb hovering over the screen. It hurt, and I wanted to cry, but I knew a long time ago. She never loved me. I blocked her number. There was another message from Ami, saying she needed an update, and proof of life. I smiled, a tear trailing down my cheek. I typed out a quick, ‘SOON’, and swiped it away before setting the phone back down.
“Everything okay?” Uriel asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
I looked up. He was watching me, a worried look in his eyes.
“It is now,” I murmured.
“It’s time.” Dane’s words were jarring, a reminder we weren’t one-hundred percent okay. He stood, and Uriel moved toward me, offering me his arm. I got up and Kade helped me into a charcoal long-sleeve shirt that fell mid-thigh.
Dane got up and walked out first. My legs were shaky, but Kade’s hand was a firm weight on the small of my back, as they guided me out. Their scents grounded my frayed nerves.
We passed the kitchen and went into a part of the house I’d never seen to a door that led to concrete steps. The air grew colder the deeper we descended. The scents hit me like a brick wall: iron, stale sweat, and rot that didn’t belong. The basement was dimly lit, the single bulb lighting a small portion of the room, but it was the man on the floor before Dane that held my attention. Dread filled my chest as my body broke into a cold sweat. My fingers trembled as my arms shook.
“You have nothing to fear,” Kade murmured into my ear, his voice devoid of the usual playfulness. He stepped forward to stand beside Dane, leaving me with Uriel.
I froze. My breath hitched, my throat dry. He wasn’t just some random man. I’d recognize him anywhere.
